


Hope, right?

by HollowRosewood



Series: Bears Reign [2]
Category: Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz
Genre: A stand alone series, Alex just wants to sleeep, Boop? Boop, Found Family, Gen, It’s me, Sickfic, Snake is still figuring things out but he’s getting there, There’s a party so there’s alcohol and someone gets punched
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 23:07:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18647977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollowRosewood/pseuds/HollowRosewood
Summary: Loud voices. The clinking of glass. Drunken laughter. God it was too much, far too much, and Alex’s temples throbbed unbearable and his stomach clenched.The members of the K-Unit were downstairs celebrating… celebrating something, and he wasn’t quite sure what that something was. He, frankly, didn’t care. What truly aggravated him was that when flu season comes around, not even the spy can escape.——————Snake is irritated and he’s trying his best to hold everything together. Sometimes it feels like he’s the only one doing so.





	Hope, right?

**Author's Note:**

> No, I don’t have a beta-oops 
> 
> All mistakes are my own, if you point it out i may or may not fix it

Loud voices. The clinking of glass. Drunken laughter. God it was too much, far too much, and Alex’s temples throbbed unbearably and yet another wave of nausea hit him at full force. 

The members of the K-Unit were downstairs celebrating… celebrating something, and he wasn’t quite sure what that _something_ was. He, frankly, didn’t care. What truly aggravated him was that when flu season comes around, not even the spy can escape.

Alex was also aware that whenever the K-Unit was nearby he got an automatic headache by proximity alone- but this was something entirely different. This wasn’t brought on by discomfort and arguments, or by stupidity. This was agony.

The teen lay in his bed, too hot for the cover but too cold without the sheets, spending his mostly conscious time cursing the party beneath him. He knew by no means would the party end soon, as most festivities hosted by the K-Unit don’t. Well, Eagles and Bears don’t- both for various different reasons.

The prospect of the noise being increased by the unit member known as Bear just to cause Alex distress was also not quite unfathomable. In fact, it was completely and utterly probable. Cub groaned to himself, pressing the heel of his palms into his eyes and wincing as glass shattered, followed by bellowing laughter. He needed a savior at the moment, but if life had taught him anything it was the fact that the only one that was going to save him was himself.

But the tablets were too damn far away and he was finally comfortable.

Alex would have laughed at himself had his throat not suddenly constricted at the notion of making a single sound. Out of all the problems in the world, this was his at the moment? Alex turned his head slightly and gazed at the general location of his ibuprofen and water across the room on his desk before huffing defiantly at the inanimate objects and moving his head back to the ceiling slowly as to remain in his comfortable and perfect position. He closed his eyes and was capable of lasting for another ten minutes before the pain grew incredibly worse, turning his headache into a migraine and he regretted not getting up to get the tablets when he had the chance. Now, even the thought of moving his body in any way made him feel nauseous. He felt his throat tighten again and he fought to tell himself that tears only made the pain worse. He felt weak, yet at the moment none of that actually mattered because his head was overwhelmed with this rhythmic throbbing.

Even still, the music got louder.

It was like Bear knew; it was like Bear was watching him and turned up the volume on purpose. Alex considering crying for Snake, considered asking for help, considered asking for some kind of care that would ease his suffering but he didn't.

He couldn't.

The last thing he needed was to give Bear more of a reason to bother him and the last thing he wanted was to bother Snake on one of his first real nights at home- the man had been working restlessly at the hospital, coming home exhausted and Alex had often found himself concerned for his wellbeing. The spy would have to fight this internal monster on his own.

Yet tears began to roll down his face and he found himself feeling ridiculous but his body was reacting against his will. How could a migraine do this? How could a migraine do this to him of all people? His own body was forcing his mind to panic, his chest and throat constricting because god it hurt and it needed to stop and what was wrong with him and why wouldn’t it stop- 

Alex knew he shouldn't panic but goddamn he couldn't think straight and in that moment he finally felt like a child. He was a sixteen year old boy, by himself, alone in a dark room and too scared to call for help. This was a situation he was used to, a feeling of dread that had filled him at least once in every mission but this was different. At least then, the enemy was on the outside- not attacking him from within. It took him a while through the suffering before realizing its best not to think about this pain radiating in his skull, but there wasn’t much else to think of. Thinking was agony, but wasn't he thinking now? Was his mind working and going on about the very thing he didn’t want to do?

Though the more metaphorical he allowed his mind to be, the more release he felt in his muscles- in his jaw. The pain didn't go away no, but his throat wasn’t as tight and he could breath in the cool air that blasted from the vent. Though tears continued to roll down the side of his face, his eyes weren't squeezed shut. His job was to let the pain escape, and though it was only for a migraine, it was the first time he's ever done so.

Downstairs, Scott Porter was clutching his glass in a tight fist and biting down his aggravation. Parties were fun, yes, but not when he had someone who needed care and attention at the moment. Snake knew Cub was sick, had been able to tell when the symptoms had shown themselves a few days ago when Alex had arrived home after a night out with his best friend Tom. Despite Cubs resistance, Snake had encouraged him to take the necessary medicines to alleviate and prevent as much as this flu as possible. Wolf and Eagle had already caught it, so it wasn’t as big of a deal as Cub had made it out to be.

His goal was to check in on Cub every thirty minutes, much to Cub's protest, and already an hour and a half has passed. Three cycles, he missed three of his cycles because Bear had thrown a few giggling drunkards his way. Snake wasn’t ignoring Cub for these girls, god no, but Bear seemed to send the sick of the sick. The ones who were already gone and just waiting to vomit up whatever alcohol they drank. It was disgusting, yet here he was cleaning up the mess when he so desperately wanted to check on Cub. It seemed that every time Snake even moved to go up the stairs, another "damsel" was thrown his way.

"That brat is fffinnee Scotty boy," Bear slurred, sauntering over with his alcohol sloshing over the edge of his cup. It was impossible to tell how many the young man had at this point. "Besides, that pretty lil' lady right there needs some help!"

Snake scowled at Bear, gently holding the wrists of the young girls wandering hands and pushed her firmly back down to couch. To his alarm, she seemed delighted and had murmured something about obeying doctors orders. Scott would have flushed had he not been so irritated, his attention turning back to Bear who had the audacity to give him a wink before disappearing into the crowd. 

He could feel his patience waning as the young woman once again reached for his waistband, Snake abruptly stood and stalked into the kitchen like a man on a mission. A short, well-built and darker skinned man stood before him, scowling down at the bottle of alcohol that he was trying to open with the counter top. A tribal wolf head took over the man's shoulder and curved around his bicep, his hair tousled and his lips and cheeks clearly smeared with lipstick. 

"James.” Snake huffed, standing tall and crossing his arms, well aware of his own scowl. Wolf glanced up, jolting a bit at the sudden bark of his real name and the bottle slipped from his grip and crashed onto the floor.

"What?" Wolf snapped, bending down to pick up pieces of glass, his irritation growing at the loss of his drink. In the living room, there was a sudden roar of laughter.

Snake glared at the tone, glancing back in the living room before shutting the door to the kitchen behind him. "Tell your little trainee that he needs to stop sending drunk girls my way! First off, I’m not interested and second, I’m not their babysitter! And he needs to turn down this shitty ass music!"

"Hey," Wolf frowned, a pout taking over his features and he swayed a bit on his feet, "There is nothing wrong with the 'Wobble'"

"It is literally _ancient_ James." Scott deadpanned, trying to keep them on track. "But that is beside the point! I am trying to do my best to take care of the sick child we have upstairs, but William is only making things worse!"

Snake felt his irritability beginning to peak into rage when he saw how careless Wolf was about the whole ordeal. It wasn't fair and it wasn't right. This is a child and it was their job to take care of the damn kid and make sure he was safe. Sure, they weren’t parents and sure they didn’t ask for this but god damn- Alex was a good fucking kid, he just needed people in his life who were willing to try.

"This is none of my business Sna-"

"This is all of your business!" Snake hissed. “This has your name written all fucking over it James! I don’t know what your issue is, but this needs to end now. Our job is to take care of-“

"The fucking kid can take care of himself Scott and he's already made that quite clear!” Wolf snarled right back, throwing the glass into the garbage and standing up fully to face the surgeon. “The world doesn’t revolve around this kid! Not everyone can just stop what they’re doing and put a pause on their career to make sure the kid doesn’t fucking-“ 

The man swayed on his feet, pressing the heels of his palms to both his temples before dragging his hands down his face and wiping away the scowl as he did. Snake was lost, staring at the other with confusion written all over his face. What the hell was he talking about? His fists clenched and unclenched, as if trying to grapple at just what Wolf was referring to and put the pieces together. 

“James…” Scott started, feeling rather than hearing his own tone soften, subdued by his lack of understanding. 

“Shut up.” Wolf barked, using the edge of the counter to balance himself. He didn’t look up at Snake, instead scowled down at the counter as if trying to fight his own reflection in the granite. “I’ll tell Bear to turn it down, alright? Just go and do what you have to.”

Scott wanted to push the topic, to demand answers from the old leader but withdrew. This was as peaceful as a dismissal he was going to get and it was best not to push his luck. He was disarmed momentarily, realizing how much control he lacked in his own home and huffed at the thought. He made a promise to himself to change that, but now he had to work on changing something else. 

He hurried out of the kitchen and pushed through the flooded living room, gently tapping swaying bodies to the side as he fought his way up the stairs and away from the chaos. Scott stumbled on a heel on the last step, using the wall to catch himself and he winced at the bass of the music vibrating through the walls. The hallway on the second floor was dark and a string of curses escaped him as he tripped on yet another shoe. What the hell? 

Snake grumbled and ran his hand along the wall, searching for the light switch before finally finding it and illuminating the walkway. He froze, staring at the tangle of limbs propped up against one of the doors. 

“What the fuck?” Scott hissed, scolding himself at the amount of cursing he was using but was past the point of caring. He could put it all in the swear jar later. The lights did not startle the couple, but his voice sure did. 

The girl was familiar, her name was Marie and Snake had held back her hair while she vomited into the toilet just an hour or so ago. She pulled back, but Bears arms were still around her waist and his head leaned in as if to continue the intense makeout session Snake had interrupted. There was a moment of silence, the three staring at one another before Marie finally broke the tension and muttered embarrassed apologies. Her head was bowed down as she hustled past Snake, picking up her shoes as she went. 

Snake watched her go, frowning before his gaze turned back to Bear who was still staring after Marie longingly. 

“We have a rule-“

“Yeah-“ 

“No civilians upstairs-“ 

“Whatever-“ 

“What is your problem?” Scott snapped, growling over at Bear. This wasn’t something that the man could just blame on alcohol, even Eagle knew not to bring any of his late night adventures upstairs. It wasn’t just for the Cub, but for the sake of some of their work as well. 

Bear scoffed, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. “My problem? My problem is that you made me lose a good fucking catch for some prude ass rule!” 

“This has never been a problem before and-...” Snake froze, finally taking the hall into account. He pulled out the mental map of all their bedrooms and was disgusted to realize just what door Bear had chosen to defile. 

William glanced up at Scott then followed his gaze to the wall, letting out a little laugh and something malicious contorted his features that left an uncomfortable pit deep in the surgeons stomach. 

“You think he enjoyed it?” William hummed. 

In that moment, any patience Snake had had left was gone and he felt something snap within him. He really couldn’t remember stepping forward, didn’t remember the way his fist swung back, but he did remember standing above Bear who was clutching his jaw and staring up at with wide eyes. The man wasn’t sober, that much was clear, but his actions were intended and that was reason enough for Scott. 

“Get out.” He hissed, his voice dangerously cool. Bear nodded, still clutching his jaw, and he scrambled out from under Snake and back downstairs to the party. 

He watched William scamper away with his tail between his legs and once the man was gone, the tension he wasn’t even aware he was harboring left his shoulders. Snake shook his fist, turning his hand to take a look at his already bruising knuckles and he cursed himself because he knew his hand was going to be sore tomorrow and god damn it he had work to do and- 

Fuck that, this feels fucking good.

Satisfied, Snake dimmed the lights in the hall once more and finally went to accomplish the mission he had set out to do. The surgeon gently opened the door, peering through the crack and was pleased to find that Alex was asleep on the bed. He opened the door a little more and stepped inside, the room stuffy from being closed and circulating the same air. He tiptoed over to the window that was casting yellow shadows into the dark room and cracked it open, allowing the cool and fresh air to join in the circulation. Once that was set, Snake carefully wandered over to Cub. 

The sheets were pulled up but the covers were shoved off, the blankets tangling as the boy seemed to have lost the battle against them. One arm was thrown across his eyes and the other hung off the bed, having fallen asleep trying to push away the migraine. 

Snake sighed heavily, gingerly pulling Alex’s arm to his side and pressing the back of his hand against the child's forehead. He was warm, but not overly so and Snake made a mental note to bring up a few more medications for tomorrow morning. 

He fixed the sheets and moved Cubs other arm onto the bed, tucking him in and then running his hand through blonde hair. The boy looked younger in his sleep, his features relaxed and for once his lips were not turned down in a frown or a scowl. He seemed content in his sleep, but there was a slight furrow to his brow from when he was clearly fighting off the migraine that Snake wasn’t there for. The surgeon cursed himself, reaching forward to smooth out the skin and wonder how the hell he got himself into this situation. 

It occurred to him that what Wolf had said in his drunken defense held some merit. They were not caretakers, they were soldiers and grown men that were barely old enough to have kids of their own. Who in their right mind thought that the best place to drop a 16 year old kid was in the hands of men who practically tortured him two years ago for two straight weeks? And why them? They had no family relation, they had no actual connection, they had no reason to be placed in charge of this child’s well being and yet here they were. 

Perhaps Fox would have the answers, but Ben wasn’t here to supply them and Scott was stuck trying to solve this guessing game on his own. 

Eagle and Snake have had this conversation before in the quiet hours of the morning, when Chris would finally settle and relax and take a drag of his cigarette as if that would push away his burdens just like his wild and unpredictable behavior did during the other 23 hours of the day. But they never got far, the two left with more questions than answers and Eagle was content with just going with the flow. 

And Wolf… Wolf knew something, Snake was certain of it but the man remained quiet and stoic. He was still rude to Cub, but he was rude to everyone so it wasn’t like Snake could call him out on his unnecessarily bitter behavior. Things were fine before so he was still struggling to understand just what was happening.

So lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice Alex waking until a soft and drowsy voice filled the room, 

“What did you do…” Alex murmured, his words slurring together just a bit as his hand sloppily gestured towards Snakes. Scott looked down at his bruised knuckles, blushing just a bit at being caught in such proximity with Alex and definitely in his personal bubble. 

“I.. ah, punched Will.” Snake muttered, scooting his seat back just to create more space between the two. 

A tiny burst of exhausted laughter escaped Alex's lips and Snake was genuinely surprised. He supposed it must be the sickness that Alex was in the process of fighting, 

"Oh my god, you did what?" Alex's voice cracked softly, a gentle smile visible in the dull lighting. There was a bit of genuine confusion there, as if his hazy mind was trying to keep track of who was who.

"I punched Bear." Snake clarified, a little more pride in his voice and his chest inflating just a bit. What on earth was this? Why did the small hum of approval from Cub suddenly fill him with confidence? Was it the reminder that the hit was justified? Snake smirked, realizing Alex had no intentions of asking why the man had attacked Bear and the boy was clearly just delighted to know that it happened. 

“Wish I could have seen that…“ Cub muttered, shifting a bit on the bed and Snake reached out to brush loose strand of blonde hair away from the boys forehead.

“I’ll pull it from the security cameras just for you.” Scott promised with a smile on his face, “Anyway, you should be sleeping… I didn’t wake you did I?”

“No…” Alex murmured, leaning into the touch and Snake once again felt a feeling he couldn’t explain well up into his chest. Something along the lines of _fuck yeah he likes me._ He wouldn’t celebrate for long, wanting to remind himself that Cub wasn’t exactly in the most present state of mind. “I was sleeping for a little though….”

"Yes well, a little bit isn't enough for a growing boy who is getting sick."

Alex visibly pouted, rubbing his eyes, still dazed and out of it from surviving the migraine. He rolled slightly, keeping himself under the cover that Snake had pulled up for him, 

“M fine…” He slurred, frowning in protest. “M not sick-“ 

“Oh please-“ 

“Medicine is gross anyway, m fine” Alex continued, as if gross medicine was enough logic to classify himself as not sick. “Sides, I can’t get sick… I already got sick like…” 

His brows furrowed as the boy tried to think of the last time he was ill and he couldn’t seem to find an answer. So he just flicked his wrist dismissively and Snake arched a brow at the young man. 

“Uh huh, I’m getting you medicine-“ 

“Nooooooooo” Cub whined. 

“Cub-“ 

“Snake-“ 

“Alex.” Scott finalized, giving the boy a pointed look that told him he was going to be taking his damn medications. Alex stared right back, the two of them locked in a battle of pure will. He didn’t know how long the silence stretched on, but it was interrupted by a soft tap to his nose and a quiet ‘boop.’ 

What.

What the fuck. 

Snake didn’t recoil physically, but his mind was springing back and forth as he tried to desperately translate what the hell transpired. Did Alex really just reach out and “boop” his nose? What-? 

Cub?

"Boop"?

What the bloody hell was going on here? Snake wondered briefly if Cub was being affected by more than just this oncoming sickness but chose to think nothing of it. He glanced down once more to the teenager, but found that the boy was now sound asleep without having taken his medicine. 

… Oh that cheeky little bastard. 

Scott let out an amused huff, running a hand through his hair and shaking his head. He pulled Cubs hand out of his lap where it had fallen after the groundbreaking boop and tucked it back under the blanket. He brushed Alex’s bangs to the side and slowly stood, making his way across the room and back to the door. 

He thought back to those feelings that had filled his chest. Confidence, pride, joy, hope.

Damn it, he found hope.

That Cub could like him, that things could change, that they could give each other some semblance of normal. It was proof that things weren’t that bad- that deep down there was still a chance for Scott to give this kid something wholesome, to show that there is someone out there who was willing to try. And this small moment proved to him that despite Alex’s prickly exterior, he was still open to whatever chance may be thrown at him. 

Snake was well aware that he couldn’t do it alone, that the other members of the unit- the other people living in this house would need to put in their fair share of work, Alex included. He knew that if he went to Eagle, the man would gladly help and perhaps the two of them could talk some sense into Wolf and together they could perhaps change whatever twisted course the unit was taking.

It was foolish that a simple little word could open up this floodgate of emotion, this small little burst of hope. He leaned against the doorway, taking one last look around the room and for once taking in the little pieces of information it gave him. Pictures pinned to the walls, papers scattered on the desk, clothes thrown in a haphazard pile on the floor- it looked lived in and it was more than Scott could ask for.

He smiled as he shut the door and whispered,

"Boop."

**Author's Note:**

> Yay! Another one! Even though its technically a revised thing so it’s nothing “new new” but hey, it exists. I’m willing to take suggestions but have no promise as to when that suggestion will - or if- it’ll be published. Anyway, i love this tiny little fandom so much 
> 
> Never change AR never change


End file.
